When Things Get Anti-Social

Social media is such fun, isn’t it? What a great place to showcase your business, to share the news of your growth, and to strengthen your brand.

But what happens when those channels you thought you owned actually become “anti social” media?

We’ve been called upon numerous times these past few years by organizations that suddenly found themselves awash in online bashing. This can take the form of fake negative reviews on sites like Google, Yelp or TripAdvisor, or it can emerge on Instagram or Facebook.

And as the ad says, in the world of social media crises, life comes at you fast.

So what can the average business owner or leader do, when confronted with a brewing social media maelstrom? Short of having Mark Zuckerberg on speed dial, how can you respond, if at all?

While we can’t prescribe here a fully detailed plan for every situation, we can identify the first steps to take if you are suddenly the subject of online drama:

Breathe

Take a moment to breathe. Pausing to reflect will help you remember who you are, what your organization stands for, and how you want to be perceived publicly. Taking that moment to collect yourself allows you to respond (or not) from a place of heart. After all, it’s easy to fight fire with fire; but fanning the flames reflexively can be dangerous.

Review

Read all public posts carefully, and ask a trusted (and more neutral) associate to read them, too. Aggregate your perceptions: do the posts merit a response? Are they best handled privately or publicly? Is this a form of libel that should be removed from your feeds? Is it appropriate to ask other sites to remove negative claims from theirs? (Proceed there with extreme caution.)

Respond

Now, come up with your response plan. Craft your responses, enlist appropriate messengers, and vow to listen carefully. And if things seem to be getting worse, call a communications professional. It may seem expensive, but it could save you money in the long run.

Remember – every storm will pass. How you handle a crisis says everything about who you are.